Values
Union with God:
Intentional pursuit of a deep, personal relationship with the divine and living in tune with God’s Kingdom.
Embodying the concept of oneness with God: Unity and participation with the divine source of all creation.
Inner Transformation:
Focus on cultivating our innate inner connection with God and devotion to spiritual maturity.
The idea that true change starts within oneself, leading to a more Christ-like character.
Love and Compassion:
Emphasis on unconditional love for all beings, reflecting Christ's paramount teaching to love God and one another as ourself.
Compassion as a central virtue, extending loving kindness and empathy to our self and to others.
Silence and Contemplation:
Practicing meditation and contemplative prayer as a means to encounter the divine.
Finding God in the stillness and quietude of the soul, even in the action of every day life.
Surrender and Discernement:
Letting go of attachment to identity, material possessions, status, and egoic desires.
Surrendering to God's will and trusting in divine guidance.
Mystical Experience:
Recognizing direct, personal experiences with the divine as a way of life.
Mystical awareness of God’s presence that transcends reality; i.e. “the world.”
Humility and Vulnerability:
Valuing vulnerability as a way to open oneself to the intimacy of divine presence and deepen friendship.
Acknowledging one's dependence on God and recognizing the divinity in all of creation (see panentheism).
Forgiveness and Generosity:
Emphasis on forgiveness of self and other as a transformative and healing practice leading to abundant life.
Embodying Christ's teachings on forgiveness and reconciliation.
Service and Social Impact:
Connecting contemplative practice with active service to the ongoing healing of the world.
Advocacy for the “least of these” in our society, as inspired by Christ’s call to love and care for the marginalized.
Sacramental Life:
Viewing sacraments, practices, gathering, and liturgy as tangible means of experiencing divine presence.
Recognizing sacred and symbolic rituals within (but not limited to) the Christian faith.